: Losing quality when scaling layers to smaller size Is there any easy way I can copy groups of images from one document to another document with a different format, then resize all the images

@Samaraweera207

Rescaling an image smaller will cause some of the pixels to be removed, reducing the quality of the image - basically it results in data loss. In raster images, data = detail. The process is called resampling, and it's irreversible after the image has been saved/exported.

There is no way to stop that from happening in Photoshop. Rescaling always degrades the quality of raster images. Even if you use Smart Objects, rescaling the Smart Object will cause a loss in detail in the rendered image, although the Smart Object itself will not be affected. In the case of Smart Objects, as long as you save the file as a PSD, the rescaling can be undone.

You might be better using other software such as page layout software like InDesign, or Scribus - since resizing an image smaller will not result in a change in the image file or it's quality. It's also possible using vector image editors such as Illustrator, and Inkscape.

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@Shakeerah625

It sounds to me like your problem is not with the images, but with the target file. If you import a high resolution (high DPI) file into a low resolution file you will get quality loss when saving the target file. Have you checked the DPI/PPI settings for both files?

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@Caterina889

Convert all your layers to Smart Objects. Then duplicate them to the other file.

Smart objects always references their original size/resolution upon output and then apply transformations. This eliminates multiple inter-application interpolations due to possible repeated transformations.

In other words...


Standard layer
Duplicated to another document
Reduced (Interpolation happens - quality loss)
Reduction was too small, so enlarged (Interpolation happens - quality loss)
Rotated (Interpolation happens - quality loss)
Output (direct output of existing pixels as they appear, including all 3 quality loss stages)


Compared to:


Smart Object Layer
Duplicated to another document
Reduced (no interpolation only preview updated)
Reduction was too small, so enlarged (no interpolation only preview updated)
Rotated (no interpolation only preview updated)
Output (original layer data read, and one step of interpolation occurs to match the size and rotation based upon original image pixels.)

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@Kaufman565

When reducing or enlarging be certain to select the correct algorithm. Photoshop has four or five that relate to what you need to do.

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@BetL875

Well, that would be best done in InDesign. InDesign would, by default, hold the original image in the "links" folder. To do something similar in Photoshop, you would have to keep an "original" PSD file that has the photos in the original size. Then you would always copy from that "original" file to make sure the photos at least start at the original size.

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